Nikhil Kaza

110 New East, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3140

| +1 919 962 4767 | nkaza.github.io | | nkaza |

Education

2008 Urbana Champaign Ph.D. in Regional Planning (University of Illinois)

2007 Urbana Champaign M.S. in Applied Mathematics (University of Illinois)

2004 Urbana Champaign M.U. P. in Urban Planning (University of Illinois)

2001 Kharagpur, India B.Arch (Hons.) in Architecture (Indian Institute of Technology)

Experience

Jul 2021 - Present University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor (Department of City & Regional Planning)

Jul 2021 -Jul 2024 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Director (Center for Urban & Regional Studies)

Jul 2016 - Jul 2024 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adjunct Associate Professor (Environment, Ecology & Energy Program)

Jan 2019 - May 2019 Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausane Host Professor (School of Architecture, Civil & Environmental Engineering)

Jul 2015 - Jul 2021 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Associate Professor (Department of City & Regional Planning)

Jul 2015 - Jul 2017 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Associate Chair (Department of City & Regional Planning)

Jul 2009 - Jul 2015 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Assistant Professor (Department of City & Regional Planning)

Jan 2012 - Jul 2016 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adjunct Assistant Professor (Curriculum of Ecology & Environment)

Jan 2008 - Dec 2008 Washington, DC Sustainability Systems Modeler (EDAW Inc.)

Nov 2007 - Jun 2009 University of Maryland at College Park Post Doctoral Fellow (National Center for Smart Growth Research & Education)

Awards and Honors

2023 ____ Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction (Shortlist) (UNC Chapel Hill)

2018 ____ Excellence in Doctoral Education (Department of City and Regional Planning, UNC Chapel Hill)

2017 ____ Schwab Academic Excellece Award (Institute for the Arts and Humanities, UNC Chapel Hill)

2012 ____ Progress Energy Fellowship (Institute for the Environment, UNC Chapel Hill)

2008 ____ Department Excellence Award (Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign)

1993 ____ National Merit Scholar (Ministry of Human Resources, Government of India)

Grants

I have acquired (in most cases jointly) $3.7 million in research grants.

Publications

Refereed Journal Papers

According to Google Scholar, the 44 articles (co-)authored by me have been cited 2,400 times.

Khanal, K., Lowe, N., & Kaza, N. (2025). Retraining for energy transition: A workforce development approach using occupational similarity and unsupervised clustering. Economic Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891242425135274
Branham, J., Salvesen, D., Kaza, N., & K. BenDor, T. (2024). A wrench in the machine: How subsidy removal alters the politics of coastal development. Journal of the American Planning Association, 90(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2022.2119156
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Branham, J., Kaza, N., Sebastian, A., & Sweeney, S. (2024). Growing safely or building risk? Journal of the American Planning Association, 90(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2022.2141821
Kaza, N. (2024). Multiclass compactness index for urban areas. The Professional Geographer, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2024.2328689
DiCarlo, M., Berglund, E. Z., Kaza, N., Grieshop, A., Shealy, L., & Behr, A. (2023). Customer complaint management and smart technology adoption by community water systems. Utilities Policy, 80, 101465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2022.101465
Li, C., Song, Y., Kaza, N., & Burghardt, R. (2023). Explaining spatial variations in residential energy usage intensity in chicago: The role of urban form and geomorphometry. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 43(2), 317–331. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.10.007
Branham, J., Kaza, N., BenDor, T., Salvesen, D., & Onda, K. (2022). Removing federal subsidies from high-hazard coastal areas slows development. Frontiers in Ecology & Environment, 20(9), 500–506.
Kaza, N. (2022). Landscape shape adjusted compactness index for urban areas. Geoforum, 87(1399-1409). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10262-9
Wang, J., Kaza, N., McDonald, N. C., & Khanal, K. (2022). Socio-economic disparities in activity-travel behavior adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina. Transport Policy, 125, 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.05.012
Branham, J., Onda, K., Kaza, N., BenDor, T. K., & Salvesen, D. (2021). How does the removal of federal subsidies affect investment in coastal protection infrastructure? Landuse Policy, 102, 105245.
Kaza, N., & Nesse, K. (2021). Characterizing the regional structure in united states: A county-based analysis of labor market centrality. International Journal of Regional Science Review, 44(5), 487–614. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0160017620946082
He, M., Glasser, J., Pritchard, N., Bhamidi, S., & Kaza, N. (2020). Demarcating regions using community detection in commuting networks. PLOS One, 15(4), e0230941.
Kaza, N. (2020). Urban form and transportation energy consumption. Energy Policy, 136, 111049. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111049
Onda, K., Branham, J., BenDor, T. K., Kaza, N., & Salvesen, D. (2020). Does removal of federal subsidies discourage development? An evaluation of the US coastal barrier resources act. PLOS One, 15(6), e0233888. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233888
Peng, K., & Kaza, N. (2020). Association between neighborhood food access, household income, and purchase of snacks and beverages in the united states. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 7517.
Pesantez, J. E., Berglund, E. Z., & Kaza, N. (2020). Smart meters data for modeling and forecasting water demand at the user-level. Environmental Modelling and Software, 125, 104633. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104633
Kaza, N. (2019). Vain foresight: Against the idea of implementation in planning. Planning Theory, 18(4), 410–428.
Onda, K., Sinha, P., Stevens, F., Gaughan, A. E., & Kaza, N. (2019). Missing millions: Undercounting urbanisation in india. Population & Environment, 41(2), 126–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-019-00329-2
Peng, K., & Kaza, N. (2019). Built environment and the purchase of fruits and vegetables in united states households. Public Health Nutrition, 22(13), 2436–2447. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980019000910
Li, C., Song, Y., & Kaza, N. (2018). Urban form and household electricity consumption: A multilevel study. Energy and Buildings, 158(1), 181–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.10.007
Qiu, S., & Kaza, N. (2017). Evaluating the impacts of the clean cities program. Science of The Total Environment, 579, 254–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.119
Hartley, D. A., Kaza, N., & Lester, T. W. (2016). Are america’s inner cities competitive? Evidence from the 2000s. Economic Development Quarterly, 30(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891242416638932
Kaza, N., Riley, S., Quercia, R. G., & Tian, C. (2016). Location efficiency & mortgage risks for low-income households. Housing Policy Debate, 26(4-5), 750–765. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2016.1159972
Kaza, N. (2015). Time dependent accessibility. Journal of Urban Management, 4(1), 24–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2015.06.001
McCarty, J., & Kaza, N. (2015). Urban form and air quality. Landscape and Urban Planning, 139, 168–179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.03.008
Zapata, M., & Kaza, N. (2015). Radical uncertainty: Scenario planning for futures. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 42(4), 754–770. http://www.envplan.com/epb/fulltext/bforth/b39059.pdf
Kaza, N. (2014). Persons, polities and planning. Planning Theory, 13(2), 136–151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1473095213490687
Kaza, N., & Patane, M. (2014). The land use energy connection. Journal of Planning Literature, 29(4), 355–369. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0885412214542049
Kaza, N., Tian, C., & Quercia, R. G. (2014). Home energy efficiency and mortgage risks. Cityscape, 16(1), 279–298. http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol16num1/ch16.pdf
Brookshire, D., & Kaza, N. (2013). Planning for seven generations: Energy planning of american indian tribes. Energy Policy, 62, 1506–1514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.021
Kaza, N. (2013). The changing urban landscape of continental united states. Landscape and Urban Planning, 110, 74–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.10.015
Kaza, N., & BenDor, T. K. (2013). Land value impacts of aquatic ecosystem restoration. Journal of Environmental Management, 127, 289–299. http://dx.doi.org./10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.04.047
Kaza, N., Lester, T. W., & Rodriguez, D. (2013). The spatio-temporal clustering of green buildings in the US. Urban Studies, 50(16), 3262–3282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0042098013484540
Lester, T. W., Kaza, N., & Kirk, S. (2013). Making room for manufacturing: Understanding industrial land conversion in cities. Journal of American Planning Association, 79(4), 295–313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2014.915369
BenDor, T. K., & Kaza, N. (2012). A theory of spatial systems archetypes. System Dynamics Review, 28(2), 109–130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sdr.1470
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2012). Intentions, urban plans and information systems. International Journal of Geographic Information Science, 26(3), 557–576. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2011.603337
Chakraborty, A., Kaza, N., Knaap, G. J., & Deal, B. (2011). Robust plans and contingent plans: Scenario planning for an uncertain world. Journal of the American Planning Association, 77(3), 1–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2011.582394
Kaza, N., Knaap, I., Knaap, G. J., & Lewis, R. (2011). Peak oil, urban form and public health: Exploring the connections. American Journal of Public Health, 101(9), 1598–1606. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300192
Kaza, N., Towe, C., & Ye, X. (2011). A hybrid land conversion model incorporating multiple end uses. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 40(3), 341–359. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1068280500002823
Kaza, N. (2010). Understanding the spectrum of residential energy consumption: A quantile regression approach. Energy Policy, 38(11), 6574–6585. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.06.028
Kaza, N., Finn, D., & Hopkins, L. D. (2009). Updating plans: A historiography of decisions over time. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 15, 159–168. http://www.itcon.org./data/works/att/2010_13.content.03108.pdf
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2009). In what circumstances should plans be public? Journal of Planning Education and Research, 28(4), 491–502. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739456X08330978
Kaza, N. (2006). Tyranny of the median: A reflection on the participatory urban processes. Planning Theory, 5(3), 255–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1473095206068630
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril, V. G. (2005). Representing urban development plans and regulations as data: A planning data model. Environment & Planning B : Planning and Design, 32(4), 597–615. http://envplan.com/epb/fulltext/b32/b31178.pdf

Book Reviews

Kaza, N. (2015). Review of Planning Support Systems for cities and regions, by Richard Brail. Journal of American Planning Association, 76(1), 123.
Kaza, N. (2015). Review of The Exposed City: Mapping the Urban Invisibles, by Nadia Amaroso. Journal of Regional Science, 52(2), 392–394.
Kaza, N. (2012). Review of Land Policy: Planning and the Spatial Consequences of Property, by Benjamin Davy. Planning Theory, 14(2), 212–224.

Manuscripts

Manuscripts in progress/submitted/accepted: 7

Branham, J., Kaza, N., & BenDor, T. (n.d.). Do development disincentives influence land conservation activity?
Cardwell, J., & Kaza, N. (n.d.). Extension, densification, dispersion and stagnation: Patterns in urban spatial development in metropolitan united states 2001-2021. In Applied Spatial Analysis & Policy.
Donald, B., Lowe, N., Kaza, N., Brail, S., DeLoyde, C., Heatwole, K., Hernandez, F., Hill-Tout, K., K.and Khanal, Planey, D., & Wang, J. (n.d.). The Dashboard is not dead: Dashboards as effective tools in skills building, sense-making and community collaboration. In Applied Geography.
Kaza, N., Brookshire, D., Toledo, K., Perrit, M., & Murphy, S. (n.d.). Whose plan is it anyway? Energy planning by american indian tribes in the united states.
Khanal, K., Kaza, N., Hino, M., & Sebastian, A. (n.d.). Manufactured housing in north carolina: A computer vision approach. In Environment & Planning B : Urban Analytics & City Science.
Khanal, K., Kittner, N., Bradbury, K., & Garcia, H. (n.d.). Characterizing solar PV exposure to flood risk in central and coastal north carolina. In International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.
Lee, H., Kittner, N., & Kaza, N. (n.d.). Local ordinances and large-scale solar development in the united states. In Energy Policy.

Book Chapters

Total number of chapters in collected volumes: 4

Becker, J., & Kaza, N. (2022). Tale of two sprawls: Energy planning and challenges for smart growth 2.0. In A. Chakraborty, R. Lewis, & G. J. Knaap (Eds.), Handbook on smart urban growth (pp. 291–302). Edward Elgar.
Kaza, N., & Knaap, G. J. (2011). Principles of planning for economists. In N. Brooks, G. J. Knaap, & K. P. Donaghy (Eds.), Oxford handbook of urban economics and planning (pp. 29–50). Oxford University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195380620.013.0003
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2007). Ontology for land development decisions and plans. In J. Teller, J. Lee, & C. Roussey (Eds.), Ontologies for urban development (pp. 47–59). Springer-Verlag. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71976-2_5
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril, V. G. (2005). A data model to incorporate plans and regulations in urban simulation models. In D. G. Maguire, M. Batty, & M. Goodchild (Eds.), GIS, spatial analysis and modeling (pp. 173–202). ESRI Press.

Presentations

Invited Talks

Conference Presentations (Selected)

Khanal, K., Kaza, N., Hino, M., & Sebastian, A. (2024). Characterising water service access in manufactured home parks in north carolina. ACSP Conference - Seattle, WA.
Lee, H., Kittner, N., & Kaza, N. (2024). Factors in the cancellation of large-scale solar projects in the united states. ACSP Conference - Seattle.
Khanal, K., Lowe, N., & Kaza, N. (2023). Targeting occupations to retrain for clean energy workforce development and implications for labor market dynamics. ACSP Conference - Chicago, IL.
Khanal, K., Kaza, N., & Kittner, N. (2022). Evaluating generalisation of deep learning computer vision models for satellite data and global development. SatSummit.
Branham, J., Kaza, N., BenDor, T. K., & Onda, K. (2021). Does subsidy removal reduce coastal development? Measuring the effect of US coastal barrier resources act. ACSP Conference.
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Kaza, N., Sebastian, A., Branham, J., & Sweeney, S. (2021). One step forward, two steps back: Managing floodplain development in north carolina. ACSP Conference.
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Kaza, N., Sebastian, A., Branham, J., & Sweeney, S. (2021). One step forward, two steps back: Managing floodplain development in north carolina (invited). American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting - New Orleans, LA.
He, M., Glasser, J., Pritchard, N., Bhamidi, S., & Kaza, N. (2019). Community detection in strongly self-looping weighted networks. Statistical Inference on Network Models - Burlington, VA.
Kaza, N. (2019). Urban form and transportation energy consumption. ACSP Conference - Columbia, SC.
Onda, K., Branham, J., BenDor, T., Kaza, N., & Salvesen, D. (2019). Does removing federal infrastructure subsidies discourage development. Third International Conference on Natural Resource Management and Public Policy - Wuhan.
Peng, K., & Kaza, N. (2019). Effects of street connectivity and duration of exposure on visits to fast food restaurants: A GPS based case study of atlanta region. ACSP Conference - Columbia, SC.
Gadiraju, K. K., Vatsavai, R. R., Kaza, N., Wibbels, E., & Krishna, A. (2018). Machine learning approaches for slum detection using very high resolution satellite images. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshops (ICDMW), 1397–1404. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICDMW.2018.00198
Kaza, N., Sinha, P., Stevens, F., & Gaughan, A. E. (2018). The missing millions: Undercounting urbanisation in india. World Congress of Regional Science Association International.
Li, C., Song, Y., & Kaza, N. (2016). Residential energy consumption: A structural analysis of chicago. ACSP Conference - Portland, OR.
Kaza, N. (2014). Whose plan is it anyway? Energy planning by american indian tribes in the united states. 53rd ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N., Knaap, G., & Hopkins, L. D. (2014). Vain foresight: Against implementation. ACSP Conference - Portland, OR.
Kaza, N. (2013). Industrial land transformation in cities. Urban Affairs Association.
Kaza, N., Tian, C., & Quercia, R. (2013). Home energy efficiency and mortgage risks. ACEEE Finance Forum.
Brookshire, D., & Kaza, N. (2012). Sustaining the seventh generation: Strategic energy planning of american indian tribes. 2012 Society of Government Economists.
Kaza, N. (2012). Persons, polities and planning. 26th AESOP Conference.
Kaza, N. (2012). The changing urban landscape of united states. 50th WRSA Conference.
BenDor, T., & Kaza, N. (2011). Land value impacts of aquatic ecosystem restoration: An analysis of the research triangle region of north carolina. 51st ACSP Conference.
Zapata, M., & Kaza, N. (2011). Scenario planning for uncertain futures: Incorporating multiple futures and multiple publics. 51st ACSP Conference.
Blohm, A., Becker, J., Kaza, N., Knaap, G., Moglen, G., & Ruth, M. (2010). Envisioning a sustainable maryland: Comparing alternative development scenarios considering energy con- sumption and water quality. 49th WRSA Conference.
Kaza, N., Towe, C., & Ye, X. (2010). Scenarios using land conversion model for multiple land uses. 50th ACSP Conference.
Knaap, G., Kaza, N., & Lewis, R. (2010). Density and public health: It is not that simple. 50th ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N., Knaap, G. J., & Clfiton, K. (2009). Economic scenarios and development patterns in the baltimore-washington region. 49th ACSP Conference,.
Kaza, N., Towe, C., Ye, X., & Thapa, B. (2009). An economic model of land conversion incorporating multiple land uses. American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meetings.
Knaap, G., Chakraborty, A., & Kaza, N. (2008). Planning a new era in the smart growth state: A primer on state development plans. 2008 ACSP-AESOP Joint Congress.
Kaza, N. (2007). Plans in decision support systems and decisions in planning support system. 48th ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N., Finn, D., & Hopkins, L. D. (2007). Updating plans: A historiography of decision over time. In C. Tweed (Ed.), COST 21 second towntology workshop.
Calderón, J., Froment, A. de, Donaldson, M., McInery, G., & Kaza, N. (2006). Games on evolving networks. Proceedings of Complex Systems Summer School at Santa Fe Institute.
Donaghy, K. P., & Kaza, N. (2006). The value of waiting: A primer on option value for planners. 47th ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2006). In what circumstances should we plan in public?,. Second World Planning Schools Congress.
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2006). Ontology for land development decisions and plans. Ontologies for Urban Development: Interfacing Urban Information Systems.
Kaza, N., & Hopkins, L. D. (2006). Reasoning with plans: Semantic relationships among interde- pendent and contingent landuse plan. 47th ACSP Conference.
Kaza, N. (2005). Deliberations between experts and laity: An approach to building planning information systems. UCGIS Summer Assembly.
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril, V. G. (2003). Planning markup language: Representing the meanings of plans and regulations. ACSP-AESOP Joint Congress.
Hopkins, L. D., Kaza, N., & Pallathucheril, V. G. (2003). Shared data model for describing plans and regulations as inputs to simulation models of urban development. North American Meetings of RSAI Conference.

Teaching Activities

Instructor

Dissertation Committee Chair

Dissertation Commmittee Member

Comprehensive Exam Commmittee Member

Danielle Spurlock(2014), Louis Merlin(2014), Kevin Park(2015), Mac Howlett(2016), Chaosu Li(2016), Lilah Besser(2017), Allan Fryer(2017), Kristin Frescoln(2017), Erik Vergel(2017), William Bishop(2018), Ke Peng(2018), Henry Mckoy(2018), Allison Forbes(2018), Lindsay Mauer(2018), Yan Chen(2020), Jane Zhao(2021), Helena Cardenas(2022), Jordan Branham(2022), Nora Schwaller(2022), Matthew Wilson(2022), Alfredo Rojas(2022), Lindsay Oluyede(2022), Tibor Vegh(2024), Amanda Ullman(2024), Xijing Li(2024), Jo Kwan(2024), Julia Cardwell(2024), Kshitiz Khanal(2025), Yang Yang(2025), Jun Huh(W), Joshu Shih(W), Kristin Vitro(W), Matthew Palmer, Christopher Samoray, Megan McIntyre, Huijoo Shon, Heerae Lee, James Collins, Yuhua Wang

Service

Other Professional Activities

Reviewer for

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

University Service